Cecil hurriedly rubbed his reddened paw with his free hand, eyeing Robin with a strange look. Because Robin’s face was smeared with mud and water, he couldn't be certain what the girl actually looked like.

But one thing he was quite sure of: this little lass could not be very old! Zhong Shenxiu and Robin carefully separated the armor and the greatsword from the skeleton.

“These should fetch a decent price, right?” Zhong Shenxiu then asked Robin with barely concealed impatience, “Toss them onto the horse, we’ll head into the city and sell them now.” This was shining coinage! Robin nodded and went to retrieve the armor and the greatsword.

Cecil was left standing there, utterly dumbfounded, clearly not having grasped what had just transpired. It wasn't until Zhong Shenxiu and Robin led the horses toward the city gates that Cecil snapped back to reality.

That thing was definitely a treasure, heavens above! I never imagined I’d see something this magnificent; no, I absolutely cannot let this opportunity slip away.

Cecil thought to himself. “Hey—you two, wait up, wait up!” Cecil rushed to catch up.

“You mean to sell these things, right? How much will you take for them?

I’ll buy them!” Although Cecil wasn't an expert appraiser, he knew that whatever Zhong Shenxiu had found was unequivocally a valuable item. “You’ll buy them?

Do you even know how expensive this is? Can you afford it?” Zhong Shenxiu scrutinized Cecil skeptically.

Frankly, in his current tattered state, Cecil did not look like a wealthy man. “Don't worry about that; money is no object!

How about this: let’s go to my place first, my house…” Seeing that the pair showed no intention of moving, he quickly added, “We can negotiate the price later, rest assured, it will be absolutely fair. My character, Cecil’s integrity, is beyond reproach.” “Then tell us, how much are you willing to offer?” Zhong Shenxiu pressed relentlessly.

These days, you couldn't trust anyone's integrity in business; integrity meant nothing! “Well…” Cecil’s mind spun rapidly.

He took another careful look at Zhong Shenxiu and Robin, then ventured tentatively, “How about five hundred gold coins?” Bah! Did he take me for an amateur?

Zhong Shenxiu nearly blurted out an insult. Zhong Shenxiu was furious upon hearing that offer, a burning rage rising in his chest!

How much effort did it take to locate such an item? And he dares offer a mere five hundred ‘gold coins’!

If he hadn't been privy to the current market rates, maybe he could have been fooled, but now? Never again would he play the fool!

Fortunately, Zhong Shenxiu’s composure wasn't cultivated overnight; it was the result of millennia of practice. He suppressed the urge to curse, merely stating coldly, “Do you take us for children?” Aren’t you both children?

Cecil thought, but he dared not say it aloud, especially after experiencing the monstrous strength in Robin’s grip; fear still lingered. Realizing these two children were not easily fooled, Cecil quickly tried to smooth things over: “Don’t be angry, don’t be angry.

You haven’t heard the rest of what I have to say. I meant five hundred gold coins as a deposit; the final price can be negotiated slowly.” Cecil knew that the most important thing right now was to stabilize these two little ancestors.

“Very well, hand over the five hundred gold coins.” Zhong Shenxiu genuinely stuck out a small hand, demanding payment. Crrrack.

Cecil froze in awkward silence. He hadn't brought any money with him at all.

For this hunting trip, he had specifically donned a brand-new set of attire. “Uh… I seem to have forgotten my money today.

Why don’t we go to my house first, and I promise to give it to you then.” After much pleading, Cecil finally managed to persuade Zhong Shenxiu. Cecil’s house was situated on Sixth Street, a grand and affluent estate.

The décor and sheer scale of the courtyard clearly indicated that his family was quite wealthy. “Cecil, where have you been?

Why do you look like that?” As Cecil stepped into the courtyard, a gentle, feminine voice suddenly rang out. And this lady was none other than Marcheen, the magic instructor from the 'Dublai Magic and Martial Arts Academy.' Marcheen was currently fighting hard to suppress a smile, thinking to herself that her younger brother never seemed to have a quiet day, returning covered in mud today.

“Sister, I’ll explain later; I’m rather busy right now!” Cecil said while leading Zhong Shenxiu and Robin toward his private quarters. “What’s so mysterious that you can’t even tell your own sister?” Marcheen finished speaking, then caught sight of the two figures trailing behind Cecil.

“Oh? Who are these two little mud statues?

Hehe, why do they look so comical?” My heavens! Please, do not offend these two!

I had to use a mountain of sweet talk just to get them to come along! Is my life easy?

Cecil panicked inwardly and quickly waved his hand dismissively, changing the subject: “Sister, I ran into Father just as I came in; he said he needs to speak with you!” “Me? What about?” “Maybe he’s setting you up on another blind date?” Seeing that he had successfully diverted the attention, Cecil didn't dare linger.

He hurried the pair into his own secluded domain. Cecil’s courtyard was quite elaborate, furnished with various training implements—stone rollers, stone axes, and the like.

Unknowing observers might have assumed he trained diligently. In reality, these were merely decorative props.

The furnishings inside Cecil’s room were even more ornate, cluttered with all sorts of knick-knacks. However, some of these trinkets were so obscure that even Cecil himself didn't know their purpose.

Zhong Shenxiu made no ceremony about it, disregarding the mud, and sank heavily onto a chair. Cecil was turning over in his mind how to acquire the item, but he struggled to decide on a price.

After all, he wasn't an appraisal expert. What if he set the price too high and ended up losing money?

That would be a net loss. “Alright, tell us what price you are offering,” Zhong Shenxiu asked.

“How about this: I’ll go fetch someone to take a look for us, so I can give you a fair price.” To ensure his safety, Cecil decided to ask Steward Brendan to examine it. Brendan was not just the steward of the Cecil household; he was an expert appraiser in his own right.

Because Cecil’s father, Donald, was an obsessive collector of antiques, he had once gone to great lengths—even hiring Brendan three times—and paid a hefty sum to bring him aboard. The facts proved that Brendan had not disappointed Donald; he had procured many fine treasures for him.

Having Brendan assist with the appraisal would reduce considerable risk, or so Cecil believed. However, one thing deeply concerned him: his father must not find out about this, or these two items would never fall into his hands.

“My time is limited; do not make me wait too long,” Zhong Shenxiu stated flatly. Receiving Zhong Shenxiu’s consent, Cecil dared not waste any time, knowing this little master was difficult to please.

Delay could bring about complications, so he moved as fast as he could. In a short while, Cecil indeed returned, leading an old scholar.

“Uh, let me introduce you,” Cecil pointed at Brendan, “This is…” “No need. I already said my time is limited.

Let’s discuss business directly.” Zhong Shenxiu interrupted Cecil’s attempt at politeness. Crrrack.

Cecil stood frozen for a moment, awkwardly unsure how to salvage the situation. Not wishing to waste any more time, Zhong Shenxiu directly called over Robin: “Robin, bring the items here.” As Robin approached carrying the objects, Brendan’s eyes instantly lit up.

He practically lunged toward Robin, muttering something indistinctly: “This… this… could this truly be…”